Seal for cars



(NoM odeL) F. 0. MINOR. Seal for Cars.

Patented May 10, 188i.

N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, Washingmn, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS O. MINOR, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

SEAL FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,399, dated May 10, 1881,

Application filed October 25, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS O. MINOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Seals for Cars and other Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention is designed as an improvementon the baggage-seal shown and described in Letters Patent granted to William Weiss. N 0. 233,052, dated October 5, l880.

In the practical working of the above-named device certain difficulties have been encountered, first, as to the manufacture, and, second, the etfectual seal and the object of the present improvements is to remove these difficulties.

My invention consists,'in a seal for freightcars and other purposes, in the combination, with the body of the shackle or strip provided with one or more slots, of the tongue of a given length to be passed through one of said slots for folding and twisting to form a knot, with an extension of the material beyond the fold and twist for receiving an impression-character.

My invention also consists in the seal-blank for freight-cars and other purposes, consisting of the strip of metal having at one end a slot and at the other end a tongue, with one of its longitudinal edges flush with the edge of the body of the strip, as an improved article of manufacture.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation, in perspective, of the blank before bending. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the seal, showing the tongue passed through the slot, folded and marked. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the seal complete and numbered. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blank, showing two or more slots inthe body thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 are views showing the curved or rounded shoulders of the tongue.

In the annexed drawings, forming a part of (No model.)

this specification, the letter A represents blanks made of narrow strips of tin or other suitable material, one end of which is provided with one or more narrow slots, to, and the other end with atongne, I); also, another slot, 0, may he formed near the shoulder portion ofthe tongue, as seen in Fig. lot'the drawings. These blanks, as shown, are struck up or formed by means of dies in such a manner that there is little or no loss of stock in the manufacture of them, It will be observed by reference to the drawings that the tongue portion 1) of the blank or strip is about one-halt'ot' the width of the body, so that the other half or portion will form the tongue of the next or succeeding blank, and that one edge of the tongue is flush with one edge ofthe body. The shoulders of the tongues are beveled or curved, so as to re-enforce the metal at these points, and constitute a binding action when drawn home through the slot. The blanks thus manufactured are shipped in a compact form to the user. To effect the seal the tongue I) of the blank or strip, now termed seal-shackle, is inserted in one of the slots to, which is a little larger than the width and thickness of the tongue, and through the same, and the projecting portion beyond the slot is folded and twisted at right angles thereto, substantially as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The projecting end of the tongue is now crimped by means of a pair of pinchers, the ends of which are provided with fixed or revolving dies, so as to produce any desired. number, letter, or character, and, likewise, the fold-- ed and twisted portion is crimped and pressed with the same number, letter, or character, substantially as seen in Fig.3 of the drawings. Also, the same operation which impresses the character upon the fold compresses the triplicated metal rigidly in place.

Sometimes the body of the blank will be impressed with the The objectof folding and twisting the tongue portion of the blank in the manner hereinbefore shown and described is for the purpose of making the material constituting the seal proper to break readily when tampered with.

In this connection it will be observed thatthe operation of compressing rigidly the fold in the tongue weakens the grain of the metal at the turn of the fold, the result being that should the extension of the fold meet with an obstruction sufficient to materially disturb the fiber of the metal it will break off at the first fold from the end, leaving a fold of double thickness in the metal, the security of the seal being preserved, since the double fold of metal remaining in the tongue prevents the seal from slipping apart.

It will also be observed that the tongue containing the seal once destroyed at the fold or twistthe seal-blankcannot be used again. The slots in the body of the blank permit of adjustment.

In the manufacture of these blanks, which arestruckupor formed by dies,aseries of numbers, 1 to 12, representing the months in the year, and l to 31, representing the number of days in a month, are impressed in the metal, asseen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The object of impressing the numbers indicating the months and days upon the blank after the freight'car is locked and sealed, is to punch out by a suitable instrument the number corresponding to the order of the month and the date of the month. For example,

92S will indicate that the car left the station 5 September 28, thereby indicating to the railroad officials the time of transportation, and it can also be checked at intermediate transfer stations for the purpose of giving the dates of arrival and departure.

It is obvious that the names of the months may be substituted and impressed 011 the blank in lieu of the figures 1 to 12, indicating the same.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a seal for freight-cars and other purposes, the eombination, with the body of the shackle provided with one or more slots, of the tongue of a given length to be passed through one of said slots for folding and twisting to form a knot, with an extension of the material beyond the fold and twist for receiving an impression-character, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, the seal-blank for freight-cars and other purposes, consisting of the strip of metal having at one end a slot and at the other end a tongue, with one of its longitudinal edges flush with the edge of the body of the strip, as shown and described.

In testimony \vhereofl aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS O. MINOR.

Witnesses Y W. L. MoOoRKLn, CHARLES H. THoMAs. 

